Civil War Federal Contractors of Saddlery, Horse Equipment & Hardware

Author’s Note: The following information has been compiled over many years of my research in Confederate saddlery and documents. It sources are that of several readily available books, articles and artifacts. Since my main area of research has not focused on Federal equipment or manufacturing, I must admit it may contain a few errors and is certainly not as complete as I would like it to be. I only present it here for others as a handy reference guide and possibly as a source for those who might want to pick up the mantle and complete the research.

The following lists comprise contractors or suppliers of cavalry saddles and horse equipments, i.e. halters, bridles, bits, girths, cruppers, etc. and their required hardware. Specifically “hardware” is: all types of buckles; rings; saddle shields, ovals and foot staples; curb chains; link strap hooks, rosettes, some times bridle bits and other miscellaneous iron or brass components that make up the horse equipment saddlery.

It is possible that not all of these companies were the actual manufacturers. Many appear to have “farmed out” to other manufacturers at least a portion of their Federal government contract orders and other needs. Also important, not all production was for Federal Government contract orders. Many suppliers sold horse equipment commercially to the Militia, state regiments and companies, officers and even individuals. This is only a limited list. No doubt there were other companies or manufacturers who provided these items also.

U.S. GOV’T CONTRACTORS OF ARMY SADDLES AND HORSE EQUIPMENTS:

The following arsenals or companies are known to have had contracts with the Federal Government to provide saddles and/or horse equipments for the Army.

FIRM: LOCATION ITEMS SUPPLIED

Allegheny Arsenal

Pittsburgh, Pa

Complete Saddles/Equip.

Alexander Barclay & Co.

204 Market St., Newark, NJ

Bits

Child, Pratt & Fox

Saddles and Horse Equip.

Jennin E. Condict & Co

Chicago, Ill.

Wooley Condict & Co.

Chicago, Ill.

Grimsley/McClellan Saddles

Eben A Corbet

St. Louis, MO

Edwin A Crossman & Co

Newark, NJ

Halters & stirrup straps

Josiah Cummings

Springfield, MA.

Bridles, halters, saddles, traces & collars

D. Demarest & Co.

Newark, NJ

Saddles

Thornton Grimsley Co.

St. Louis, MO

Grimsley saddles & equip

Hansel & Braeutigam

Philadelphia, PA

Saddles

H. Head & Co. (Head & Boon)

Quincy, Mass

Bridles & halters

Heatheral & Cosker

Cinn., OH

Saddles

Hoover, Calhoun & Co.

NYC

Nose bags,saddle bags, links, surcingles, girths

John How

St. Louis, MO

Horse Equipments

Emanual Metzger

Philadelphia, PA

Horse Equips., bridles, halters

C. Prudden

Philadelphia, PA

Cavalry saddle trees

Nece & Rueben & Co.

Philadelphia, PA

Saddles, Horse Equip sets

George Peters (Peters & Benner)

Newark, NJ

Saddles, bridles, stirrups, halters, surcingles

John Reid

Cincinnati OH

Horse equipments

Sickles & Co.

St.Louis, MO

Cruppers

Turner & Sibley

Chicago, Ill.

Cavalry Equipments

Warren H. Wilkinson

Springfield MASS

Bridles, halters

E. Waters, Co.

Troy, NY

Art. drivers & valise saddle trees

Watervliet Arsenal

Complete Artillery & Cavalry saddles & Equipment

FEDERAL CIVIL WAR ERA “SADDLER’S”:

The following is a list, though by no means complete, of known Civil War era “saddlers”. In some cases it is not entirely clear if these companies had Government contracts or simply sold saddle and horse equipment products commercially. In addition, some may not have manufactured but merely “supplied” the products as middle-men. Many of these companies were apparently in the business both before and after the war supplying the wants of both civilians and the Military.

FIRM: LOCATION

Roswell Bartholomew

Hartford, Conn

Horatio Beall & Co

Washington DC

William Bell & Co

??

Cullen Brown

Detroit

A.S. Carner & Co.

Washington DC

M C McKinny Chase & Co.

Boston

Arthur Clendening Co.

Allegheny City, PA

William Gilmore & Co.

Pittsburg, PA

Henry G. Haedrich

Philadelphia, PA

Samuel A. Hagner

Philadelphia, PA

Hannibal G. Hamlin, Jr.

Cincinnati, OH

R.P. & S.P. Harner

Philadelphia, PA

Jenkins & Lilly

Baltimore

Lyman J Lloyd

Albany, NY

John M Migeod

Philadelphia, PA

Richard E. Miles

Louisville, KY

Edward P. Moyer

Philadelphia, PA

Sherman Nichols & Co

Washington DC

John Norgrove

Chicago, Ill

Peck Bros. Saddlery

New York

Schuyler, Hartley & Graham

19 Maiden Lane, NY (Paris France and Birmingham, England)

FEDERAL CONTRACTORS OF “HARDWARE” (Lorinery) FOR SADDLES AND HORSE EQUIPMENT:

The following contractors had Federal Government contracts to supply saddle or horse equipment “hardware” (sometimes called lorinery”) i.e. buckles, rings, squares, halter bolts, escutcheon plates, etc.; bits, curb chains, picket pins, etc. and sometimes other equipments. It is highly probable most of these contractors were also the manufacturers of their products. This list is by no means complete as to the contractors or the products they supplied.

Another important aspect of the hardware supply question that is not addressed here is just how much, or specifically, what items were imported from overseas. It is common knowledge Germany, Great Britain and France provided some arms, equipment and materials for the Northern war effort. It is also believed that some of the domestic military suppliers imported hardware products for finishing saddlery or for sale here. Obviously more research and knowledge is needed before conclusions can be made. Unfortunately, surviving European documentation may be limited by the passage of years and possibly even destroyed as a result of two World Wars.

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Ken R. Knopp

Historian and Author Ken R. Knopp has published a collection of his research and findings in three comprehensive books and dozens of previously published articles. The articles & photos are copyrighted and NOT available without written permission.